Pedro Munhoz nonetheless seeing ‘blurry-eyed,’ rips Sean O’Malley for dealing with of UFC 276 aftermath: ‘They’re gangsters on computer systems’

Pedro Munhoz had a roller-coaster few days.

The bantamweight veteran has been underneath the microscope since his UFC 276 combat in opposition to Sean O’Malley resulted in a disappointing no contest resulting from an unintentional eye poke suffered by Munhoz early within the second spherical. Regardless of profitable the opening spherical on the scorecards and being forward on the time of the foul, Munhoz has confronted intense scrutiny for the reason that bout, with O’Malley and plenty of followers accusing him of searching for a approach out.

Because it seems, Munhoz was certainly injured. He suffered an abrasion on his proper cornea and even resorted to posting his medical report from the hospital with a view to clear his title. And contemplating his well-earned fame as one of many gamest fighters within the bantamweight division, he’s been disillusioned by how O’Malley dealt with the scenario.

“Quite a lot of his actions after the combat had been issues that I don’t suppose is correct, based mostly on my values,” Munhoz mentioned Wednesday on The MMA Hour. “Like he got here and apologized to me, after which he go and go make a video on TikTok, make enjoyable of my imaginative and prescient there. So that you apologize to me for poking me [then do that]? As a result of he realized, he got here as much as me, like, ‘I didn’t imply to poke you within the eye.’ I say, ‘I do know you didn’t imply to poke me within the eye.’ I say, ‘We are able to run these again anytime,’ and he mentioned, ‘You’re a legend.’ I say thanks, after which I advised his coach [Tim Welch] and he was very good to me, and he says, ‘Let’s run this again.’ I mentioned, ‘Let’s run this again.’

“However then you definitely go make enjoyable [of it]? That’s type of like issues that I inform my children to not do it. You say one factor however then you definitely go make enjoyable alternatively. I got here as much as a era, just like the one earlier than his era … I’m not going to go and make of somebody simply to get extra followers and stuff like that. And in addition to that, all his pals, all these man texting me, speaking about my spouse, speaking about my household, saying that they’re going to combat me. And guess what? I advised them, I say, ‘Yow will discover me. I’ll be by the pool right here Sunday.’

“They’re gangsters on computer systems. … In order that’s the kind stuff that I say I don’t agree with, and that was one thing that was new for me — preventing some child from a era that makes these exhibits seem like a circus. After I grew up watching B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo, fought of all these guys, Dominick Cruz, and now I simply really feel that I used to be within the circus.”

O’Malley was incredulous in his post-fight media availability at each the end result of the bout and the truth that two of the three judges had Munhoz forward on the time of the foul. He claimed that he was dominating the combat and mentioned that Munhoz “100%” was searching for a straightforward approach out. He then doubled down with quite a few posts on social media.

Munhoz’s weekend was fairly completely different. The 35-year-old mentioned he was transported to the hospital post-fight and wasn’t in a position to open his proper eye for 25 minutes. He mentioned docs in the end handled him with eye drops usually used to numb eyes with items of glass caught in them after automobile accidents, and that even as soon as his proper eye was open, all he may see was “a black fog.” Munhoz is anticipated to go in for a follow-up appointment on Tuesday. 4 days after the incident, he mentioned his imaginative and prescient nonetheless isn’t again to 100%.

“At the moment, I’m in a position to open my eyes, as you possibly can see, and I see … very clear within the center, however in each extremes I nonetheless see tremendous darkish and never clear, like blurry-eyed,” Munhoz mentioned.

Munhoz additionally clarified a false impression that it was his left eye that suffered the harm, which stemmed from an Instagram submit he made in Portuguese after UFC 276. In it, his left eye was swollen shut, nonetheless he mentioned that was just because he by accident blew his nostril as soon as he bought again to his lodge. He mentioned he famous that his proper eye was the one giving him issues within the submit, however that the element wound up getting misplaced in translation.

Nevertheless it’s the criticism he’s obtained from different fighters that shocked Munhoz probably the most. The Brazilian veteran has been in wars with most of the greats of his period, going toe-to-toe with names like Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz, Frankie Edgar, Cody Garbrandt, and present UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Munhoz constructed a fame for being one of many hardest fighters at 135 kilos, so he’s baffled why folks would assume he would search for a approach out in opposition to the least adorned opponent he’s fought previously 4 years.

“I’m being blamed for one thing that, I didn’t do it,” Munhoz mentioned. “I used to be within the combat, I used to be going ahead attacking him.

“For me, chasing me, he does that transfer [pointing his fingers outstretched], and so I get blamed for one thing that he did, you understand? And abruptly, I need out? That doesn’t make any sense. And when folks say one thing, the other, is simply exhibits like what number of silly individuals are on the market, and ignorant, a bunch of haters. If they’re fighters, they in all probability bought poked within the gymnasium earlier than in coaching. I did. However in that sense, to chop my cornea, was the primary time. So I feel folks that may choose, they see a scenario like that, however [they’re] not placing [themselves in] my footwear. They’re simply ignorant.

“I used to be within the combat 100%, I used to be profitable on the scorecards, I used to be tremendous snug,” Munhoz added. “I used to be in a position to break him down within the first spherical, which is the spherical that he goes the strongest. Second and third, we all know that he’s beginning happening, and that’s my strongest spherical. 5-round combat, I might in all probability eat him alive.”

Munhoz added that he’s prepared and prepared to do a rematch with O’Malley as quickly as his eye is medically cleared, though he’s uncertain if O’Malley is prepared to do the identical.

“I don’t should show something,” Munhoz mentioned. “On the finish of the day, it’s my eye within the sport. I proved my fame the game many occasions. Look all these battles that I went via. Jose Aldo kneed me proper within the face within the second spherical, clear, growth — that was the center of the second spherical, I stayed sturdy that second spherical, went to the third spherical toe-to-toe with among the best of all-time. And his punches simply in comparison with Sean O’Malley, it’s type of like a child.

“Even Jose Aldo texted me yesterday, he’s like, ‘Bro, everyone knows that you just’re powerful. You shouldn’t submit that [medical report]. You shouldn’t show something to anyone.’ … Like I mentioned, I’ve been in so many battles earlier than [with legendary] guys, and actually going there preventing Sean O’Malley and seeing all that I used to be going through was nothing extra [than] hype, and now my principle has been solved, and I simply felt that I’d say it’s proper right here for the people who doubt and so they nonetheless consider. I do know you guys are going to nonetheless not consider in that, however right here, so I’m doing something to keep away from this combat. That’s what actually occurred that day.”